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When They Go Low, We Go High

By: Philip Collins
Narrated by: Philip Collins, Ben Onwukwe, Eric Meyers, Helen Keeley
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Publisher's summary

When First Lady Michelle Obama approached the podium at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, nobody could have predicted that her rousing and emotional “when they go low, we go high” speech would go on to become the motto for the political left and an anthem for opponents of oppression worldwide. It was a speech with the kind of emotional pull rarely heard these days, joining a long list of addresses that have made history. But what about Obama’s speech made it so great?

When They Go Low, We Go High explores the most notable speeches in history, analyzing the rhetorical tricks to uncover how the right speech at the right time can profoundly shape the world. Traveling across continents and centuries, political speechwriter Philip Collins reveals what Thomas Jefferson owes to Cicero and Pericles, who really gave the Gettysburg Address, and what Elizabeth I shares with Winston Churchill.

In telling the story of great and sometimes infamous speeches - including those from Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, JFK, Martin Luther King Jr., Disraeli, Hitler, Elie Wiesel, Margaret Thatcher, and Barack and Michelle Obama - Collins breathes new life into words you thought you knew well, telling the story of democracy. Whether it’s the inaugural addresses of presidents or the revolutionary writings of Castro, Pankhurst, and Mandela, Collins illuminates and contextualizes these moments with sensitivity and humor.

When They Go Low, We Go High is a strong defense of the power of public speaking to propagate and protect democracy and an urgent reminder that when great men and women speak to us, their words can change the world.

©2017 Philip Collins (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
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Starts off great and then falls short.

First speeches were great but then they were not original self-writing. Staffs of writers would write the speeches and then the orator would just give them. Also, when it got to Kennedy, the author of the book had too many political opinions and diatribes. Felt like the author was using the book as propaganda to further his views on politics. Shortly thereafter, I could not listen any more. It just wasn't worthwhile or interesting anymore.

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